Auxiliary component for medical device having additional functionality

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary component that is used with a medical device is modified to provide for additional or enhanced functionality. In one specific embodiment, a sheath surrounds an intraoral electronic image sensor, and is provided with signal conductors integrated therein. Electrical communication is provided between the sensor and the sheath, such as via a direct electrical connection, a capacitive or inductive coupling or an optical link. The sheath, and particularly the signal conductors integrated therein, connects to a cable which in turn connects to another device, such as a processing module or computer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of medical devices. In oneembodiment, this invention relates to the field of filmless dentalradiography.

2. Description of the Related Art

In clinical practice, medical devices are very often used in conjunctionwith an auxiliary component. A common example is a conventional oralthermometer, which when used to take a patient's temperature, is coveredwith a protective sheath. The thermometer performs the primary functionof taking a temperature and the sheath performs the ancillary functionof providing a hygienic barrier between the thermometer and theenvironment within the patient's oral cavity. The auxiliary component inthat situation serves only to provide the hygienic barrier, and does notserve other purposes.

Auxiliary components are also used in the field of filmless dentalradiography. By way of general background, dentists and oral surgeonstypically use x radiation to obtain images of their patient's teeth,mouths and gums to aid in diagnosis and treatment. In traditional oraland dental radiography, a cartridge containing photographic film isplaced in the patient's mouth, for example behind a patient's tooth, andan x-ray beam is projected through the tooth and onto the film. Thefilm, after being exposed in this manner, is developed in a dark room ora closed processor using special chemicals to obtain a photographicimage of the tooth.

In the last several decades, the field of filmless dental radiographyhas emerged. In filmless dental radiography, an x-ray beam is stillprojected through the patient's tooth, but no photographic film is used.Instead, an electronic sensor is placed in the patient's mouth behindthe tooth to be examined. The electronic sensor may include acharge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) array or any other filmless radiationsensor. The x-rays pass through the tooth and impinge on the electronicsensor, which converts the x-rays into an electrical signal. Theelectrical signal is transmitted to a computer, either directly orthrough a module containing intermediate processing circuitry. Thecomputer then processes the signal to produce an image on an associatedoutput device, such as a monitor or a printer.

Filmless dental radiography offers several advantages over traditionalfilm-based radiography. Most importantly, the electronic sensor is muchmore sensitive to x-rays than is film, allowing the dosage of x-rays tothe patient to be lowered by as much as 90%. Also, the image of thetooth is generated by the computer almost instantaneously, thuseliminating the entire development process, including the use ofpotentially harmful chemicals. In addition, because the images aregenerated electronically, they can be stored electronically in acomputer database.

Because electronic sensors, unlike film, are re-usable from patient topatient, it is common to use a sterile, x-ray permeable sheath thatsurrounds the sensor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,312 depicts asheath 12 that surrounds a sensor 10 and cable 14. Such sheaths aretypically disposable, and are changed between examinations, so that nosheath is used for more than one patient. In this manner, the sheathprotects the re-usable sensor from contamination. Protective sheaths,however, have heretofore been used only for the purpose of providing ahygienic barrier, and there has been little or no efforts at utilizingthem for any other purposes.

On the other hand, conventional digital dental radiography systems arenot without their drawbacks. For example, the connection between thesensor and the processing module or computer is most conventionally madevia a cable. Such a cable, however, can be uncomfortable for andannoying to the patient in whose mouth the intraoral sensor is placed.The cable is also bothersome to the dental practitioner when positioningthe sensor in the patient's mouth.

In addition, the repeated acts of positioning and re-positioning thecable, which involve a good deal of bending, twisting and pulling of thecable, puts mechanical stresses on the cable. These stresses caneventually lead to cable failure, and indeed cable-related malfunctionsare one of most prevalent reasons for product failures and returns inthis field.

One class of solution to this problem is to eliminate the cablealtogether, and provide an electronic sensor that communicates with aprocessing module or computer over a wireless link. Such a solution hasbeen set forth, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,193,219 and 6,924,486.Such wireless solutions, while excellent for their intended purposes,increase the complexity of the sensor, and impose limitations on theamount of power available to the sensor. Accordingly, such solutions maynot always be the most desirable.

Another solution that has been proposed is to utilize a removable cable,which can be attached to and detached from the sensor body by the dentalpractitioner. Such a solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,119.This solution, however, does not solve all of the aforementionedproblems. In particular, while this approach may be effective tominimize the mechanical stresses that are put on the cable, and to thatextent increases cable life and reduces cable failure rate, it doeslittle to address positioning problems and nothing to address patientcomfort problems, since large protrusions are required to receive thedetachable cable (see for example projected portions 43 shown in FIGS. 5and 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,119). These protrusions hamper positioningefforts as much or nearly as much as the cable itself, and contributesignificantly to overall patient discomfort.

The short-comings of the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,119 highlightwhy a wholly-satisfactory solution to the cable problem has heretoforebeen so elusive, namely as a result of the requirements of the cableitself. On the one hand, the cable must survive multiple cycles ofbending, twisting and pulling during its lifetime, and in that sense itis desirable to make the cable as sturdy as possible. On the other hand,the cable should be flexible, soft, comfortable and utilize a connectionjunction as small as possible so as to provide simple positioning forthe dental practitioner and allow comfortable placement in the patient'soral cavity during an x-ray exam. These requirements, which in a certainsense are at odds with one another, have heretofore prevented a solutionwhich addresses all of the problems presented by the cable, includingthe positioning problems, comfortable problems and failure problems,without detracting from the overall performance of the system.

Accordingly, the problems presented by the cable in a wired digitaldental radiography system have not been adequately solved. At the sametime, the auxiliary component with which the electronic sensor isconventionally used, namely the sheath, has heretofore only served toprovide a hygienic barrier between the sensor and the patient's oralcavity, and its presence and availability has yet to be exploited forany other purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliarycomponent that is conventionally used for one purpose, with additionalfunctionality, so that the auxiliary component may be utilized for anadditional purpose or purposes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide additionalfunctionality to an auxiliary component, that enables the auxiliarycomponent to solve a problem of the medical device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronicdental sensor that exhibits improved positioning capability.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronicsensor that is more comfortable to the patient.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronicsensor that exhibits a reduced cable failure rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a second alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a sheath in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention, having a pair of conductive traces integratedtherein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sheath in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a sheath in accordance with yet another embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In one embodiment, the present invention equips a protective sheath thatis conventionally used to provide a hygienic barrier between anelectronic intraoral sensor and a patient's oral cavity, with conductivecapability such that the sheath may additionally function as a conduitfor signal and power transfer to and from the sensor. More specifically,in such an embodiment the present invention provides a sheath withintegrated conductive traces, so that the sheath serves as anintermediate electrical connection between the electronic sensor and acable. The sheath may be disposable. The sensor communicates withconductors integrated into the sheath, and the conductors in turncommunicate with the cable.

The cable may be connected directly to a computer or to an interfaceboard in a computer, or may be connected to an intermediate processingmodule. In the latter case, communication between the processing moduleand computer may be over a bi-directional wired or wireless link. Thecomputer, interface board and/or processing module may perform controland processing functions, which may include, among other things,controlling the operation of the sensor, reading out data from thesensor, effecting analog-to-digital conversion, executing an eventdetection algorithm and processing data read-out of the sensor into aform suitable for transmission, such as for example transmission fromthe processing module to the computer.

In clinical practice, a sheath is typically disposable and used for onlyone or a few examinations. Thus, a marked advantage of the presentinvention is that the sheath and its conductive traces will be subjectto most of the mechanical stresses to which the cable would be subjectin a conventional system, but because the sheath is disposable, it neednot meet the rigorous survival requirements of a conventional cable. Thecable in the present invention, on the other hand, is not subjected tothe same mechanical stresses as a cable in a conventional system, andwill therefore exhibit a much lower failure rate and a much longer lifespan.

A block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. Sensor 1 is surrounded by sheath 2. The sheath may be made of avariety of materials. Some examples include plastic films (such aspolyethylene, cellulose, vinyl, PVC and the like), thermoplasticelastomers, silicones, rubbers and synthetic paper (such as Tyvek® andthe like). Other synthetic or non-synthetic materials may be used aswell.

Integrated in the sheath 2 are miniature electrical connectors 2 a and 2b and a conductive trace 3 between the connectors 2 a and 2 b. Suchcomponents may be integrated in the sheath 2 by a variety of methods,such as for example by a lamination process. Other methodologies whichmay be used include a direct deposition/printing process, abonding/secondary assembly process and a process in which the componentsto be integrated are molded-in. Other alternatives exist as well.

Miniature connector 2 a connects to the sensor 1 via a connection pointprovided on the sensor 1. Miniature connector 2 b connects to the cable4 and conductive trace 3 provides for communication between the twominiature connectors. Electrical signals are conveyed to and from theelectronic sensor 1 via the conductive trace 3. The electrical signalsmay be for example electronic information signals and/or electricalpower.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a band, such as an elasticband, may be provided around the sheath in the vicinity of the connector2 a to ensure a proper connection between the connector 2 a and theconnection point on the sensor 1. Cable 4 connects on its other end toprocessing module 5, which in turn connects to computer 7 via link 6.Link 6 may be wired or wireless, and should provide for bi-directionalcommunication between processing module 5 and computer 7.

FIG. 2 depicts an alternate embodiment of the present invention, inwhich cable 4 connects directly to computer 7, rather than via aprocessing module and additional link. In this alternative embodiment, aspecialized interface board may be housed in computer 7, which interfaceboard may receive signals from the cable in the first instance. Ineither the embodiment of FIG. 1 or 2, the connection to the computer maybe via the PCI slot, the ISA slot or the USB port.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, trace 3 comprisesmultiple traces, such as for example conductive trace 3 a for conveyingelectronic information signals such as image data signals and controlsignals, and conductive trace 3 b for conveying electrical power. Thisconfiguration is depicted schematically in FIG. 3.

Alternatives to the configurations of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are alsopossible. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 connector 2 a might bereplaced with a near field transceiver 2 c integrated into the sheath 2,which can communicate with sensor 1 via near field coupling, such ascapacitive coupling, inductive coupling and the like. As shown in FIG.5, connector 2 a might also be replaced with an optical transceiver 2 dintegrated into the sheath 2, which can communicate with the sensor viaan optical link. Combinations of the foregoing are also possible. Forexample, both a near field transceiver and a miniature electricalconnector (or an optical transceiver and a miniature electricalconnector) may be integrated into the sheath in lieu of miniatureelectrical connector 2 a alone, such that data and control signals arecommunicated to and from the sensor via the near field transceiver (oroptical transceiver) and power is communicated to the sensor via theminiature electrical connector. Other variations are possible as well.In each of the foregoing variations, the sensor 1 is configured withnear field transceiver or optical transceiver as well, whichcommunicates with the corresponding transceiver that is integrated inthe sheath 2.

The foregoing provides several concrete examples of how an auxiliarycomponent that is commonly used with a medical device may be modified toprovide it with additional functionality. As a result of suchmodifications, the auxiliary component is made to perform an additionalfunction, wholly different from its conventional function, and therebysolve a problem that has plagued the device itself. The presentinvention is not limited in its applicability to the specific case ofmodifying a hygienic sheath to enable it to provide electricalcommunication, but to the contrary is applicable to any case in which anauxiliary component may be modified to provide additional or enhancedfunctionality.

Moreover, it is understood that the above description and drawings areillustrative of the present invention and details contained therein arenot to be construed as limitations on the present invention. Changes incomponents, procedure and structure may be made without departing fromthe scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An intraoral imaging system comprising: anelectronic sensor; and a sheath that surrounds the electronic sensor,the sheath having at least one conductive trace integrated therein thatprovides an electrical communication path to and from the electronicsensor.
 2. An intraoral imaging system according to claim 1, furthercomprising a cable
 2. 3. An intraoral imaging system according to claim2, wherein the sheath further has integrated therein a first electricalconnector that connects to the electronic sensor and a second electricalconnector that connects to the cable, the first and second electricalconnectors being disposed on opposite sides of the at least oneconductive trace.
 4. An intraoral imaging system according to claim 1,wherein the sheath has integrated therein at least two conductive tracesthat provide at least two conductive paths to and from the electronicsensor, including a first conductive path that conveys electronicinformation signals and a second conductive path that conveys electricalpower.
 5. An intraoral imaging system according to claim 3, wherein theelectronic information signals comprise image data signals and controlsignals.
 6. An intraoral imaging system according to claim 1, whereinthe sheath further has integrated therein a near field transceiver thatprovides for communication between the sensor and the at least oneconductive trace.
 7. An intraoral sensor according to claim 5, whereinthe near field transceiver communicates with the sensor via capacitivecoupling.
 8. An intraoral sensor according to claim 5, wherein the nearfield transceiver communicates with the sensor via inductive coupling.9. An intraoral imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the sheathhas further integrated therein an optical transceiver that provides forcommunication between the sensor and the at least one conductive trace.10. A method of providing electrical communication to and from anelectronic sensor, comprising the steps of: surrounding the electronicsensor with a sheath; and conveying electrical signals to and from theelectronic sensor via at least one conductive trace integrated in thesheath.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electricalsignals conveyed to and from the sensor comprise electronic informationsignals and electrical power.
 12. The method according to claim 11,wherein the electronic information signals and electrical power areconveyed via the at least one conductive trace between the electronicsensor and a cable.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein theelectronic information signals are conveyed to and from the electronicsensor via a first conductive trace integrated in the sheath and theelectrical power is conveyed to and from the electronic sensor via asecond conductive trace integrated in the sheath.
 14. A medicaldiagnostic system comprising: a primary component configured to performa main function; and an auxiliary component configured to perform afirst ancillary function and further configured to perform a secondancillary function separate and distinct from the first ancillaryfunction.
 15. A medical diagnostic system according to claim 14, whereinthe primary component is an electronic component, the first ancillaryfunction is a mechanical function and the second ancillary function isan electrical function.
 16. A medical diagnostic system according toclaim 15, wherein the auxiliary component includes a mechanicalsub-component that performs the first ancillary function and anelectrical sub-component integrated in the mechanical sub-component thatperforms the second ancillary function.
 17. A medical diagnostic systemaccording to claim 15, wherein the primary function is an imagingfunction.
 18. A medical diagnostic system according to claim 15, whereinthe first ancillary function is to provide a hygienic barrier around themain component.
 19. A medical diagnostic system according to claim 15,wherein the second ancillary function is to convey electrical signals toand from the main component.
 20. A medical diagnostic system accordingto claim 16, wherein mechanical sub-component comprises a sheath and theelectrical sub-component comprises at least one conductive trace.